Kathiey's World

*Feb 1 in Raleigh NC you can attend the  36th Annual Southern Draft Horse Pull and Coon Mule Jump. *Feb 2-3 is  The Carolina Chocolate Festival  in Morehead City NC *Jan 30-Feb 1 is  Southern Farm Show  in Raleigh NC *Jan 31-Feb 2 is the  NC Jazz Festival  in Wilmington NC *Feb 2 in Hatteras NC is the  Hatteras Island Oyster Roast Jan 30-Croissant Day Jan 31-National Hot Chocolate Day Feb 1-Wear Red Day Feb 2-Groundhog Day Feb 3-Feed the Birds Day Feb 4-National Homemade Soup Day Feb 5-Chinese New Year As usual guys, you need to check all event websites to verify times and pricing.   I can't guarantee anything.   Whatever you decide to do have a great time. KathieyV

"I trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge Him and He directs my paths."  (Proverbs 3:5-6) I love to travel.  I enjoy the adventure.  I delight in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the trails in the mountains, and feeling the cool breeze during a bike ride on the beach.  I have a seven-year-old grandson, and we like to go on adventures.  We have been to museums, the zoo, the park, the ocean and there are many other excursions that I am planning.  My dog Brodie and I love to go on walking adventures together. It would be exciting if all of life's journeys would take us to exotic beaches, towering snowcapped mountains, and beautiful cathedrals.  Wouldn't that be great?  Yes, we can make some of these things happen, and I hope to. But, sometimes life's journeys are less than joyous.  Many life events cause significant pain and are devastating.   In these times we ...

📰Reading📰 7 Efficient Ways to Organize Your Bathroom if You are a Beauty Enthusiast After reading this article I have decided to look for containers for things such as Q-Tips, dental floss, and makeup. 9 Tips for Organizing Your Bedroom There are many helpful tips in this link.  The one I am going to put to use is "Give Your Jewelry a Home". 10 Things to be more Organized on a Daily Basis One thing I need to make more of an effort of is setting my clothes out for the next day.  Which would also incorporate planning for the next day.  All good things! 10 Home Office Hacks to Get You Organized Now I need to do everything on this list and just the thought gives me a headache.  That being said there is no time like the present to jump in. **************************************************************************** 📽Watching📽 Ellen Gets Organize d This Video will make you laugh, I did. Guest Room Orga...

*Jan 24-27 you can attend WinterFest in Blowing Rock NC        I have been several times and there is a ton to do and so much fun! *Jan 21-27 is Triangle Restaurant Week in the Triangle area of NC *Jan 26 in Raleigh NC they are having a Raleigh Wine and Chocolate Festival . *Jan 25 in Cary NC is a Tacos and Beer Tasting Event *Jan 25-27 the NC Symphony is playing The Firebird in Raleigh NC  *.                          Jan 23-National Pie Day Jan 24-National Compliment Day Jan 25-Opposite Day Jan 26-National Peanut Brittle Day Jan 27-Auschwitz Liberation Day Jan 28-National Blueberry Pancake Day Jan 29-National Puzzle Day As usual guys, you need to check all event websites to verify times and pricing.   I can't guarantee anything.   Whatever you decide to do have a great time. KathieyV

I was feeling a bit sad last night, and I posted that truth on Facebook.  I said I was feeling sad, but I did not want to surrender to that feeling, so I was going to dive into a good book.  I find that reading does help us escape, if only for a moment, the things in life that like to take us and shake us to the point of sorrow. My Facebook friends came through as they always do with words of encouragement and love and I am so thankful for those who take the time to care. I have a facebook friend Amber who I met on a road trip to New York.  We met in the hotel restaurant, and I found her to be such a nice person, and because of that, we became Facebook friends.  Amber sent me a scripture last night, Proverbs 3:18 I must say I was not familiar with this scripture but it brought me comfort in the moment, and I decided to do a bit of research on the text. "She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;  those who hold her fast will be bl...

📰Reading📰 How to Actually Get 8 Hours of Sleep I already use many of her ideas,  I don't drink caffeine after 3pm. I do have a night time routine.  PJ's, warm cozy socks, and a good book. The white noise is a must, I have two fans humming away. Is Too Much Sleep Bad For You? I get about 6-8 hours of sleep a night. How about you? 10 Best Pillows to choose For a Good Nights Sleep My favorite pillow is a very old foam pillow.  I know it needs to be thrown away  but I have not found one to be its equal. Sleeping Tips and Tricks One thing I do follow is the cool room advice.   I keep mine at about 66-67 which sadly is difficult to do in the summer.  My best sleep is in the winter. **************************************************************************** 📽Watching📽 Best Pillows for your Sleep Position It sounds like the foam pillow is the right one for me. Sleeping with Cats I just could not do it, I would be u...

The Happy Home Fairy Blog is all about family, food, faith, and crafts,  all the the good and happy things in life.  I thought I would read through her blog and apply some of her posts to my life.  I would love if you would join me. First off I like Julie's quote "Loving God loving others and having fun" what a great way to look at life. I applied three of her posts to my life...here goes...I selected 2 recipes.  Each was very good (there are links to all 3 posts below) First up I tried her Honey Garlic Pork Chops They were very good and super easy.  If I were to make them again I would double the sauce. I had some left overs so I put the pork chops on a garden salad.  Yummy The second recipe I made was her recipe for a  Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie I enjoy smoothies but I think I have only made one in my life  so I thought this would be fun and it was!  I was worried about slicing...

*Jan 19 in High Point NC you can go see The Koresh Dance Ensemble . *Jan 20 in Raleigh NC you can attend  Reds From Warm Regions .  A wine tasting. *Jan 16 in Raleigh is Wine Women and Style at Style Finder. *Jan 19 at Historic Oak View Park there is a January History Hike *Jan 18 at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh NC you can enjoy Iris After Dark Jan 16-Appreciate a Dragon Day Jan 17-Kid Inventors Day Jan 18-Winnie The Pooh Day Jan 19-National Popcorn Day Jan 20-National Cheese Lovers Day Jan 21-National Hugging Day Jan 22-National Blond Brownie Day As usual guys you need to check all event websites to verify times and pricing.   I can't guarantee anything.   Whatever you decide to do have a great time. KathieyV

📰Reading📰 Organizing Thoughts and Tips for the New Year . This is a very helpful post if you are interested in getting organized in the New Year. My goal for this month are the closets and the garage.  How about you? 27 Absolutely Gorgeous Home Organizing Before and Afters . These are great ideas and I wish I could recreate everyone.   I especially  liked the wall paper in the laundry room. 5 Quick Ways to Organize Your Home Office . I like the way this is broken down step by step.   25 Fab Ideas for Organizing Playrooms and Kid's Spaces . Some great ideas on storage and organization for your kids playrooms. **************************************************************************** 📽Watching📽 DIY Office and Kids Playroom Makeover . 10 Spaces You Should Declutter Every Day . I would love to apply all of these declutter ideas to my routine. But as they say Rome was not built in a day so I will just select a few... Wo...

One place I knew I had to visit while I was in the Lake Lure area was the  Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Here is a quote from their website.... "Officially dedicated Oct. 19, 2013, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge blooms on the historic 1925 Rocky Broad River bridge in Lake Lure, NC. When the bridge was closed to traffic in 2011, the Friends of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge came together to create gardens on the 155 feet of the bridge and along a pathway at both ends of the three-arch span itself. With an emphasis on native plants, the Friends mission is to create a “Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful” for the enjoyment of the public. Lovely view from the bridge... Love the doors decorating the garden.. Attention to detail is seen in this family of owls... Just a few of the plants along the path... Many lovely things to see... Bricked paved garden walkway... An invitation I could not pass up.... I really enjoyed my leisurely stroll on the Lake Lur...

*Jan 11-12 in Raleigh NC at the NC Symphony you can enjoy Mozart & Shostakovich . *Ending Jan 13 is the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary NC. *Jan 12 in Cary NC is the Mutts and Marshmallows Run . *Jan 9 in Raleigh NC is Wine Down Wednesday at Simply Crepes. (50% off all wine) *Jan 13 in Durham NC there is a January Square Dance . Jan 9-Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Jan 10-Houseplant Appreciation Day Jan 11-National Milk Day Jan 12-National Glazed Donut Day Jan 13-Make Your Dream Come True Day Jan 14-Dress Up Your Pet Day Jan 15-National Hat Day As usual guys you need to check all event websites to verify times and pricing.   I can't guarantee anything.   Whatever you decide to do have a great time. KathieyV

The Book Thief is written by an Australian Markus Zusak. Published in 2005 552 pages Amazon 4.6/5stars Goodreads 4.36/5 stars Genre-Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, War Drama. Description found just inside the book... "It is 1939 Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath.  Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings,  the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found." The story takes place during Nazi rule in Germany between 1939 and 1942. The narrator of the story is Death who gives his perspecti...

Breakfast Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Lunch Mozzarella cheese Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper Appetizers Dilly Cucumber Bites Dinner Honey Garlic Pork Chops Dessert Toffee Bars Happy Eating! KathieyV I would love to know what you have on your menu this week. Share you thoughts in the comment box:-)

The author of this prayer was Reinhold Niebuhr.  The prayer was widely used in sermons in the 1930's and 40's and was first published in 1951. The Serenity Prayer was spoken a lot in my family.  I can still hear my mom quoting this prayer.  I can't recall when she began reciting the words.  It could have been while she was trying to cope with the many difficulties in her life.  It may have been when my brother entered the 12 step program due to his alcoholism.  I am not sure of its origin in her life.  Regardless of when she began to say this prayer the words seemed to give her comfort. I think it can give those of us going through a separation and divorce comfort as well.  It is a simple prayer but contains a depth of truth and faith.  God can give us the  serenity to accept the things we can't change.  God can give us the  courage and strength to change what we need to change.  God can give us the  wisdom...